Beneath the Scales
by rainbowstrike
Summary: A series of drabbles/oneshots that look into the dynamics of Team Hebi. Sometimes humourous, sometimes serious, and sometimes with just a touch of romance. Mostly unrelated. Written because we need more Hebi!
1. Drabbles 1 to 6

**A/N;**

**Mainly written for a number of reasons. One; my fanfiction account hasn't been touched in about a year. Two; I've developed an obsession for Hebi/Taka that I just can't shake. Three; I love Juugo and Suigetsu far too much, and thus wish to write for them immediately. **

**This story will be a series of a couple of drabbles per chapter, ranging in word length. I hope you enjoy this story as much as I'm sure I'll enjoy writing it. **

**-Rain (:**

_**Drabble One; In which Suigetsu thinks of his team.**__**  
Rating; T for swearing.  
Pairing(s); None.  
Genre; Humour/Romance.  
Timeline; After Itachi's death.  
A/N; I have the idea that although Suigetsu appears rather aloof when he comes to his team, deep down he could not abandon them. **_

Suigetsu does not know exactly when his feelings about Hebi – _Taka_, he reminds himself – changed. He has spent a lot of time convincing himself that travelling with Sasuke, Juugo and the red-haired bitch will somehow benefit him. After all, he still wants Samehada. But now, as he stares at Sasuke's shadowy face and realises that Kisame-sensei's partner is dead, he asks himself what he can gain from staying with them now.

A number of reasons for staying run through his mind; Sasuke has said they will be working with the Akatsuki, which Kisame-sensei is a part of. The closer he stays to Kisame, the more chances he will have to take his sword. As liable as those reasons are, Suigetsu can't deny the truth that bubbles to the surface of his mind.

_Well, damn. I've actually grown attached to these bastards. _

_**Drabble Two; In which Juugo contemplates friendship.  
**__**Rating; T for mentions of death  
Pairing(s); None.  
Genre; Angst/Friendship.  
Timeline; Not long after meeting Kimimaro.  
A/N; I've always wondered about Juugo's history. Where did he come from? Did he have friends? Family? C'mon Kishimoto, help me out here!**_

Although he has long-since resigned himself to his fate – the fate of a monster – Juugo cannot help the flicker of hope that has sparked in his heart after meeting Kimimaro. He asks himself now, could it be possible? Could the urges stop? Could he finally be... free?

What does freedom mean to him? There was a time when he was free, he remembers. A small, fleeting time, in a village whose name he forgot long ago. Juugo remembers that he had friends then. Teammates, were they? He cannot really remember, nor does he try. Sometimes, remembering is painful. Still, their faces stay with him. _A boy and a girl_, he recalls, _the boy was loud, and the girl was always smiling. _She had a nice smile, Juugo decides, especially the one she reserved just for him.

She wasn't smiling when she found the boy, broken and bleeding in countless places. She wasn't smiling when she looked to Juugo, hunched over beside his best friend's dead body, covered in the bloodshed he'd caused.

As he travels with Kimimaro, and as the years pass, those memories of freedom are soon forgotten, and his friends replaced by a new face, a new name.

_Kimimaro_. The boy who offered Juugo a chance for redemption. It isn't a traditional friendship; the circumstances aren't perfect and Juugo still spends time in chains, but with Kimimaro, it seems he _has_ found freedom.

Juugo knows that he will never have to worry about killing _this _friend, and he decides that this is freedom in itself.

_**Drabble Three; In which Karin punches Suigetsu.**__**  
Rating; T for language (hey – it's Karin and Suigetsu. What do you expect?)  
Pairing(s); Slight SuiKa (because I've decided I like it)  
Genre; Humour/Minor romance.  
Timeline; Sometime after Hebi is formed.  
A/N; I love the Suigetsu/Karin dynamic. I think some song said it best – "I hate everything about you, so why do I love you?" Well, not love. But whatever. **_

"Come on, Karin. It's _easy_."

"Shut up, shark-freak!"

"Eh? Bitch! I'm just trying to help you confess your love for-"

"I said _shut up_!"

"Was that supposed to hurt, Karin?"

"Argh! Bastard!"

"I guess that's what I get for trying to be helpful. It's really not that hard to tell someone you love them. It's easy! Hey, Juugo! I love you!"

"...Thank you, Suigetsu?"

"Idiot."

"Eh, no need to be so harsh, you red-haired bitch. Now go on, tell him!"

"I- I don't even... who suggested that... argh! _Idiot!_"

"Hey, Sasuke!"

"What, Suigetsu?"

"I _love _you, Sasuke-kun!"

"...Hn."

"See, Karin? I told you it was easy to tell Sasuke that you -"

"Shut up, Suigetsu!"

"Hey Karin..."

"Just _shut up_!"

"Karin!"

"_What?_"

"I love you."

"..." _WHACK!_

"_Ow! _Bitch! That fucking hurt!"

"Well don't say such stupid things, bastard!"

As Suigetsu's head re-forms, he is smirking. And that smirk is what makes Karin want to punch him again.

_**Drabble Four; In which Sasuke's lack of a girlfriend is questioned.  
**__**Rating; T, for mentions of some unmentionables.  
Pairing(s); Slight SasuSaku. If you squint.  
Genre; Humour.  
Timeline; Sometime after Hebi is formed.**__**  
**__**A/N; I laugh at the fact Sasuke is so clueless about Karin's crush/obsession/stalker habits. Also, though I understand that Sasuke was 12 when he left Konoha... those kids swore like no tomorrow! Who says they didn't have knowledge of... yeah... -cough-**_

"So, Sasuke-kun, did you have a girlfriend back in Konoha?" Karin asks, her voice laced with that sickly sweet tone that pisses Sasuke off more than he lets on.

Sasuke shoots Karin a warning glare. "Hn. No."

"Oh! Really?" her excitement is barely contained, though he can't imagine why. He would call her annoying, but he reserves _that _insult for the girl he left behind in Konoha. The girl who he convinces himself means nothing to him. The girl he'd kill if he had to, if she got in the way of his goal.

"Shut it, Karin. Sasuke doesn't want you to be his girlfriend." Suigetsu smirks, downing a bottle of water. Karin turns to him, her glasses glinting in the red glow of the fire.

"Idiot! That wasn't what I was asking! Just butt-out! I'm trying to have a nice conversation with Sasuke!" she turns her gaze back to Sasuke, her cheeks reddening. She scoots a few feet away from him, and for once Sasuke is grateful for Suigetsu's mouth.

"I guess Karin's question wasn't completely pointless. How come you didn't have a girlfriend in Konoha, Sasuke?" Suigetsu's shark-like grin is wide.

Then again, Sasuke thinks, he may have spoken too soon. "I did not want a girlfriend."

"Didn't want a girlfriend?" Suigetsu snickers, "What? Could you take care of _that _all by yourself, Sasuke?" Sasuke's eye twitches and Suigetsu knows he's won. Still, he wants to see how far he can push this subject before Sasuke snaps. "Or was it that you just weren't into the long-term thing? You just wanted a little action on the side?"

"Suigetsu! Shut up, idiot!" Karin hisses. Juugo sits by the fire silently, staring over the flames at Suigetsu and wondering how long it would take for Suigetsu's face to reform if Sasuke punched him.

"I'm just being curious, bitch." Suigetsu grins, leaning back on his elbows.

"Be quiet, Suigetsu." Sasuke says, his voice dark. Suigetsu continues to grin but says nothing.

There is silence in the cave.

"I've got it! Sasuke didn't want a _girlfriend_! I always knew you swung for the other team, Sasuke!"

Suigetsu's face explodes into a spray of water as Sasuke hits him, but even then, Suigetsu is laughing.

_**Drabble Five; In which Suigetsu loses his sword.  
**__**Rating; T.  
Pairing(s); Slight SuiKa.  
Genre; Angst/Hurt/Comfort.  
Timeline; After the fight with Killer Bee.  
A/N; I love Suigetsu's sword. There's so much emotion tied to it, methinks.**___

He cannot remember the last time he was so angry. He does not care to try, either. Suigetsu does not like feeling so out of control. Anger gives power, but it is distracting in a battle. He understands this, like he understands most things about battle.

What he can't understand is whether Karin intentionally left his sword behind to spite him, or whether she simply _forgot_. Suigetsu kicks angrily at a stone, watching it bounce into the water. He is almost at the spot where they fought Killer Bee, but he cannot see the familiar glint of his old sempai's sword anywhere. He growls in frustration. It would be too much to hope that it was exactly where he'd left it, wouldn't it?

Suigetsu searches the battleground, growing more and more agitated by the minute. He _needs _that sword! That sword ties him to the Mist, to his goal, to his brother... Mangetsu. Snarling under his breath, Suigetsu picks up a rock and hurls it into the water. It is a pointless exercise, but it makes him feel a little better.

_Mangetsu... we promised we'd collect all seven swords. I'm sorry... _Suigetsu sits down, taking a long swig of his water bottle. It was that bitch Karin's fault. If she'd bothered to pick his sword up, it wouldn't have been stolen. The fact that he will have to search Kumogakure tonight doesn't bother him, it is the fact that _his sword _is in someone else's hands. The sword that rightfully belongs to him, the thing that is his own tribute to Mangetsu, is being used by someone _unworthy_. The thought sickens him.

"Stupid bitch..." he hisses under his breath.

"Oi! Idiot! That's not very nice!" Suigetsu doesn't even look at the girl walking towards him. "If you want your stupid sword back, here – take it." His sword, his precious sword, falls to the sand in front of him. Karin crosses her arms. Suigetsu quickly sheathes it, standing up to meet Karin's eyes.

She realises with a jolt that he is smiling. Not smirking, not sneering, but smiling.

"Thank you." He nods, and he means it. For some reason, this makes her feel uncomfortable.

"Well, you made such a big deal about it. I just didn't want you to start crying on the way back." She mutters, avoiding his gaze.

"Shut up, bitch, and just accept my thanks," Suigetsu places his hands behind his head, "it's not like it happens very often." He begins walking, but he is still smiling.

"Eh? Bastard!" Karin shrieks, but now that he isn't looking... she is too.

_**Drabble Six; In which Juugo teaches Sasuke about birds.  
**__**Rating; K+.  
Pairing(s); None.  
Genre; Friendship  
Timeline; Sometime after Hebi is formed  
A/N; A little Juugo/Sasuke friendship drabble, because I like the idea and because I wanted a chance to have a Juugo/Kimimaro flashback ^_^.**___

"How do you do that?" Sasuke can't help but ask, after watching Juugo talk with the two small birds that have settled on his broad shoulders. The 'conversation' is stupid, meaningless, and one-sided, but the idea of animal scouts intrigue Sasuke. At least, that's what he tells himself. He abandoned curiosity a long time ago.

Juugo's eyes flicker to him. "I'm not sure. I just... can." He murmurs.

"Hn." Sasuke grunts. Juugo watches him for a few moments.

"I suppose it could have something to do with my... monstrous side. It too, I guess, could be classed as primal... animalistic. On some deeper level, I might understand them because of it. I don't know." he smiles. Sasuke ponders this.

"Do you think," he asks slowly, "that I could do it? I possess the Curse Mark." Juugo shrugs, causing the little birds to chirp indignantly. Juugo says something to them, and laughs.

"I tried to teach Kimimaro, after he received a Curse Mark," Juugo says, "He did not... he couldn't get it." He laughs softly, his mind wandering to a memory of better times, when he felt free from his Curse.

"_Soft tones, Kimimaro... don't talk _at _them."_

"_It's just being difficult! How do you talk _at a bird_?" Kimimaro tries again, but the bird does not reply. _

_Juugo shakes his head. "Like that. Here, let me show you." He holds out his hand, and the bird hops onto it. "Speak to Kimimaro, friend." He murmurs. The bird whistles something in return, words Kimimaro cannot understand._

"_What did it say?" Kimimaro asks. Juugo laughs. _

"She _wants you to stop referring to her as an 'it'." _

_The look on Kimimaro's face is incredulous, and Juugo laughs again. He loves this. _

"_Try again, Kimimaro."_

"Do you want to try, Sasuke?" Juugo offers. Sasuke hesitates a moment. He tells himself that tracker birds will be useful to him, and he nods. Juugo gestures for him to come closer. "Speak in soft tones, and remember not to talk at them."

Sasuke's gaze levels on one of the birds. "Hello, bird." He tries. Juugo is struggling to keep from grinning. The bird remains silent, cocking its head to one side. "Answer me, bird!" Sasuke tries again, angrily.

"No, Sasuke. You're talking _at _it."

"How do you talk _at _a bird?" Sasuke grumbles. Juugo smiles.

It's times like these that he truly believes Kimimaro lives on in Sasuke. 

**A/N;**

**I hope you enjoyed them. R & R? **


	2. Sentence shots 1

**A/N;**

**This time, I give you a series of 'sentence-shots' (Not drabbles, but not one-liners either). I really like writing these. Hope you enjoy them. The drabbles will be back in the next chapter. **

**-Rain**

- **Embrace**

_Karin doesn't remember the last time she let anyone hug her. Juugo does, but that memory is tainted with bloodshed. Eventually, they both stop trying to remember. _

- **Brothers**

_A part of Suigetsu can understand why Sasuke wants to kill his brother. But he thinks of Mangetsu, and the pain he felt when he realised that his brother was dead, and he mourns for Sasuke. He wonders if Sasuke will feel that too, when Itachi is no more. _

- **Protector**

_Before the Curse takes him over, Juugo has come to recognise the signs. His neck begins to burn, like venom spreading from a snake's bite. He feels a stab of rage in his chest, and a flash of panic before compassion leaves him. Until Hebi, the Curse destroyed. Now, as he thinks of Suigetsu, Karin and Sasuke, he decides that maybe the Curse can protect, as well. _

- **Lessons**

_Sasuke does not care for Hebi. He tells himself that every time Suigetsu and Karin start an argument, every time Juugo's face contorts into rage. But when they in danger, Sasuke can't deny the silent shout that fills his own ears. Team 7 taught him to care. Team Hebi reminded him that he did. _

**- Hate**

_Karin hates Suigetsu. She has hated him ever since she first met him. She hates the way he has to stop every five minutes to rest. She hates the way that he insults her. She hates his smirk. She hates his stupid sword, the one he cares about so much. She hates him so much she can't stand it.  
But most of all, she hates the fact that after he told her he loved her, she can't hate him anymore. _

- **Attraction**

_She's well aware of the fact Sasuke doesn't like her. She's well aware of the fact he probably never will. But she can't help her attraction to him; he just has so much _power_. That's all that Karin really wanted. _

-** Body**

_They all have body issues. Karin hates the bite-marks that litter her body. Suigetsu wishes he had just one battle scar. Juugo can still see the blood stains on his hands, even though he has scrubbed them clean. And Sasuke? Sasuke, even through all his bravado, remembers that fleeting moment when he actually thought he would lose his body to Orochimaru. _

- **Crazy**

_In their own little ways, they stood out from the norm. Suigetsu loved murder. Karin loved powerful chakras. Juugo had infrequent urges to kill. And Sasuke... Sasuke was too far gone to be called anything other than bat-shit crazy. _

- **Eyes**

_Hers were as hot as fire. His were as cold as ice. But when their eyes met, they felt nothing but warmth. _

- **Fear**

_Everyone has their fears. Juugo's is himself. _

- **Realise**

_Suigetsu sometimes wonders if Sasuke realises exactly what he has done for Hebi. The damn Uchiha freed him from that godforsaken fish tank, and gave Juugo a reason to hope again. He even gave Karin a new purpose; a life outside of Orochimaru's clutches. Sometimes, Suigetsu wonders if Sasuke even cares. _


End file.
